“Linsanity” started when Jeremy Lin came in off the bench against the New Jersey Nets, dropped 25 points on Deron Williams and his team, and started to change the Knicks season around. Williams was frustrated.

A couple days later, Williams was being peppered with questions about Lin, at one point said “What phenomenon?” then cut off the Lin line of questioning. Williams was angry.

Monday night, he unleashed all that back on the Knicks. Williams had 38 points, was 8 of 14 from three and led the Nets to a 100-92 win that wasn’t as close as the score suggests.

Deron Williams let Jeremy Lin and everyone know who will be the best point guard in the greater New York area next year when the Nets move to Brooklyn. Unless Williams doesn’t move with them and is instead the best point guard in Dallas. Or Los Angeles. Or wherever, but that’s another topic all together.

Lin had a good night statistically — 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting and 9 assists. Early he was able to get some good buckers in transition early. But the Nets did a good job of forcing him to his weaker left, then cut off his drives. It left the Knicks as a jump shooting perimeter team for much of the night, and the Knicks shot just 40 percent for the game.

This was also Carmelo Anthony’s return to the Knicks. He looked rusty, as one would expect. The Knicks put him the post more, ran some nice staggers screens for Lin with him and Amar’e Stoudemire. There were flashes — like an Anthony pass out of the post to a cutting Stoudemire for a dunk.

Baron Davis was back as well, but he was almost covered in rust. He may get there, but the up and down Davis can do that more slowly thanks to Lin. The Knicks have a quality point guard.

But the Nets have a better one. They also knocked down the threes — 15-31 from beyond the arc.

This was a chippy, physical, up-tempo and at times sloppy game that at times looked more like a game at Rucker Park than MSG. But that suited the Nets. They also had MarShon Brooks drop 18. And Kris Humphries had 14 points and 14 rebounds. The Knicks had Anthony and Tyson Chandler pick up technicals for trying to intimidate the Nets.

You probably answered “the Clippers.” Most fans do. So do most NBA referees — And everyone else. Which is why after a recent loss to Golden State, veteran Marreese Speight (a Warrior last season) pointed to the Clippers complaining about the officiating as part of the problem.

He went on to say that the scouting report is you can get in the Clippers’ heads by knocking them around a little. Which seems pretty obvious when you watch teams play them. Shockingly, Clippers coach Doc Rivers disagrees with that. Via NBCLosAngeles.com.

“The officiating thing, I don’t think, is our issue. I will say that,” said Rivers about the technical fouls. “If that were the problem, then, Golden State would be struggling. They’ve been No. 2 the last two years in techs, too. I think we need to point fingers in another direction than that.”

Doc may not like it, but Speights is right.

The Warriors do complain too much, but they also have a ring so more is forgiven. The problem for the Clippers is that reputation for complaining starts with Rivers — he complains as much or more than any coach in the league. Then it filters down through Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

Is it fair that more is forgiven with winning? Moot question. Welcome to America. The Clippers complain a lot and have yet to get past the second round with this core. And at times there standing there complaining to the referees does get in the way of them getting back into defense, and they seem to go in a funk.

The Pelicans are disappointing this season — it is Anthony Davis vs. the world down there. Which is the main reason they are 7-16 this season. While things have gotten better since Jrue Holiday‘s return, Davis is averaging a league-best 31.4 points per game, it then drops off to Holiday at 15.4, and then E'Twaun Moore at 11.1.

When a team struggles, usually that is a bad sign for the coach. Not because it’s always their fault, but because GMs choose not to fire themselves for poor roster construction. Which leads to the question: Alvin Gentry, are you concerned about your job? (Warning, NSFW)

New Orleans’ struggles are not on Gentry, certainly not completely. He’d like a roster that can play uptempo, that has depth. What he got instead was a good point guard, an elite 4/5, a rookie in Buddy Hield that maybe pans out down the line, and then… nada. And the roster Gentry has often is banged up.

If anyone is in trouble, it is GM Dell Demps. Remember, Danny Ferry was hired last summer for the vague role of “special advisor.” Gentry is in his second year, and the issue is the roster he was given. But the Pelicans are a patient organization that values continuity, so… who knows. But the clock is ticking on Davis;, it’s years away, but the Pelicans need to build a team around him and are far from that right now.

Jones told the Beacon Journal he will retire after next season, which will be his 15th in the NBA. His ultimate dream is to ride off after three consecutive championships in Cleveland

“I know playing 15 years is a number where I can look back and I can be like, ‘I accomplished something,’ ” Jones said. “Fourteen vs. 15 may not be much, but to be able to say I played 15 years, that’s enough for me to hang ’em up.”

Jones’ contract expires after the season, so the Cavs will have a say in whether he returns. Safe to say if LeBron wants him back, Jones will be back.

But the Heat got into trouble relying on washed-up veterans around LeBron, wasting valuable roster spots on players who could no longer contribute.

Is that Jones? Not yet. Though he’s out of the rotation, he has still made 11-of-12 open 3-pointers this season. There’s a role for him as spot-up shooter when Cleveland needs one.

Still, the Cavaliers ought to be mindful of Jones’ likely decline over the next year and a half. Plus, it’s not a certainty he holds to his timeline. Cavs veterans have a history of changing their mindon retirement.